UAW Postdoc Scholar Contract Implementation
August 26, 2019
UAW-Represented Postdoctoral Scholar Salaries/Stipends
UW central offices are working through the Workday programming and individual case reviews necessary to ensure that all eligible Postdoctoral Scholar titles receive appropriate increases and paid leave consistent with the terms of the UAW postdoc collective bargaining agreement. UW central offices will also be implementing the new postdoctoral titles as part of this transition. Below are key points on Postdoctoral Scholar compensation:
One-time pay increases for some employees associated with contract implementation
- Any changes in salary/stipend needed to bring employees up to minimums will be effective August 1 and are targeted to first appear in September 25 paychecks.
- The contract specifies minimum salary/stipend levels for each year of postdoctoral experience. These can be found on page six of the Summary of UAW 2019-2021 Agreement.
- Pay increases will be loaded centrally. Once uploaded, departments will need to review for accuracy and make changes to costing allocations as necessary.
- Postdoctoral Scholars who held the title of senior fellow for the duration of “status quo”, were reappointed and did not receive a salary increase during the “status quo” period will receive a one-time 2% increase.
- This is in addition to, and calculated separately from, the across-the-board minimum annual increase of 2% referenced below.
- This wage increase will be loaded centrally.
- It will be effective as of September 1.
After September, 2019, annual wage increases will occur per contract terms
The contract requires a minimum 2% annual increase for Postdoctoral Scholars and Postdoctoral Scholar-Fellows in the two years of the current contract, FY20 and FY21.
These annual increases will be effective on the date of reappointment.
Compensation terms in the contract may have budget and planning implications
The salary/stipend scale begins with a salary equal to the Federal fiscal year 2019 NRSA stipend rate and an increase of 2% annually thereafter. Both scales are based on postdoctoral experience levels as described in the table below.
- For stipended postdocs on NRSA awards who have one to three years of experience, the minimum contract stipend levels for the levels of experience in FY20 and FY21 are slightly higher than the NRSA stipend rates.
- Departments must identify an appropriate source of funds for supplementation of each affected Postdoctoral Scholar-Fellow.
- If NIH increases its NRSA stipend levels prior to October 2020, the contract gives the union (UAW) the option to re-open the article on wages and begin bargaining with the UW on that issue.
Email Labor Relations with questions on the implementation of these new titles and wages. Additional guidance will be provided on other aspects of Postdoctoral Scholar employment policies in the coming weeks, including the University’s plan related to compensation for Postdoctoral Scholars who were reappointed between the time of ratification and the completion of contract implementation, conversion of leaves, and requests for retentions and other discretionary salary increases, among other topics.